Rail joint



E. C. WELSH RAIL JOINT March 9 1926.

Filed August 20 1925 Patented Mar. 9, 1926 EZRA C. WELSH, OF NEW MIDDLETOWN, OHIO.

RAIL JOINT.

Application filed August 20, 1925... Serial No. 51,389.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EZRA C. YVELsI-I, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Middletown, in the county of Mahoning and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Rail Joints, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The present invention; relates to rail joints, and has for its object to provide an efficient joint of this character adapted to allow for the usual expansion and contraction of the rails while maintaining a tight joint between the adjacent ends of the rails at all times, and is a continuation in part of my application Serial No. 33,159 filed May 27, 1925.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of the rail joint;

Figure 2 is a transverse section onthe line IIII of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a perspective View of one of the rail ends and associated fish plate, and

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 2 of a slightly modified form.

h ily improved rail joint comprises a bench 2 adapted to be supported on ties 3. The bench has a channel 4 therein adapted to receive the base flanges of the adjoining end portions of the rails 5 and 6. The meeting end faces of the rails are out along the vertical diagonal plane represented by the line 7 in Figure 1.

The channel 4 which receives the base flanges of the rails .is preferably slightly wider than the flanges of the rails, so that, in the absence of other holding means, the rails are free to move laterally with respect thereto. This clearance may, for instance, be about one-eighth of an inch.

Engaging the web of the rail 5 are a pair of fish plates 8 and 9 secured to the rail by bolts 10 and engaging the web of the rail 6 are a pair of fishplates 11 and 12 secured to the rail by bolts 13. The fish plates 8 and 11 and the fish plates 9 and 12 may abut as indicated by the dotted lines 14 and 15 in Figure 1.

A clamp plate 16 is mounted on the upper face of the rail bench 2 along the inner side of the joint. This plate overhangs the fish plates 9 and 12, and is preferably provided with a longitudinally extending rib 16' on its under face adapted to bear against the fish plates 9 and 12 to clamp them against vertisuch longitudinal and lateral slippage of rail 6'as may be necessary.

My invention contemplates that one end of each rail will be held against longitudinal movement due to expansion and contraction while the other end thereof will be free to move longitudinally and will have means associated therewith for causing the rail to move laterally during such longitudinal movements thereof to maintain a tight oint. In the construction illustrated, the rail end 5 is held against longitudinal and lateral move ment by a lag screw 20 which passes through the flanges of the clamp plate 17 and fish plate 8 and through the rail bench into one of the ties 3.

Referring particularly to Figure 3, it will be seen that at the inner side of the rail joint a notch 21 is cut'in the, flanges of the fish plate 12 and the rail6. One edge 22 of this notch extends at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the rail while the other edge 23 thereof extends diagonally and parallel to the plane of the end face? of the rail. A lag screw 24 extends through the inner edge portion of the clamp plate 16 and through the notch into the tie 3.

Figure 1 represents the condition of the rail joint when the rails are partially contracted. It will be noted that the lag screw 24 is in engagement with the rear edge 22 of the notch 21 and that the inner surfaces of the heads of the rails 5 and 6 are substantially flush. It will also be noted, by reference to Figure 2, that the inner edges of the flanges of the fish plate 11 and rail 6 are substantially in engagement with the inner edge of the channel 111 the rail bench. It will be apparentthat when the rail end 6 contracts the rail end will be compelled to move laterally by reason of the engagement of the lag screw 24 with the diagonal edge Wall 23 of the notch 21. Consequently, during such contraction of the rail end 6, the abutting diagonal end faces of the rail ends 5 and 6 will be maintained in contact with each other. Then when the rail end 6 expands again, the diagonal end face of the rail 6 will slide on the diagonal end face of the rail 5 whereby the rail end 6 will be moved laterally in the opposite direction.

The construction shown in Figure 4. is generally similar to that hereinbefore described. In this form of the invention, I have shown clamping plates 16 and 17" generally similar to plates 16 and 17 of Figure 1, but having angular inner edges adapted to bear against the sloping faces of the fish plates, designated in this figure as 11 and 12. Clearance is shown between the top of fish plate 11 and the under face of plate 17 in order to allow for the lateral shifting of the rail 6. The structure being otherwise generally similar to the joint of Figure 1, corresponding reference numerals designate corresponding parts.

lVhile I have shown and described preferred embodiments of my invention, it w'll be understood that the invention is not limited to its illustrated embodiments, but that it may be otherwise constructed within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. The combination with a pair of rails having cooperating angular end faces, of means cooperating with the flange of one rail for effecting a relative transverse movement of one rail when it moves longitudinah ly with respect to the other, whereby said angular end faces are maintained in contact.

2. The combination with a pair of rails having cooperating angular end faces, of means for joining said rails including a bench, and means on said bench for effecting a transverse movement of one of the rails when it moves longitudinally with respect to the other.

3. The combination with a pair of rails having cooperating diagonal. contacting end faces, of a joint member in which one of the rail ends is fixed against relative movement and in which the other rail end is longitudinally and laterally movable, and cooperating means on the joint member and movably received rail end for effecting a lateral movement of the movably received rail end. when it moves longitudinally with respect to the joint member.

4. The combination with a pair of rails said last-mentioned rail end for causing the same to move laterally when expanding and contracting, whereby to maintain the diagonal end faces of the rails in close relationship at all times, substantially as described.

6. In a rail joint, two rails having their meeting ends out along parallel vertical diagonal planes, means cooperating with one of the rail ends for preventing either lateral or longitudinal movements of the same, the other rail end being free to expand and contract, said last-mentioned rail end having a notch in its base flange having an edge parallel to the end face of said rail end, and neans cooperating with said edge whereby when said rail end contracts it is caused to move laterally in one direction to maintain a tight joint between the rail ends, the end face of said rail end cooperating with the end face of the other rail end upon expansion of the rail end having the notch to move the same laterally in the opposite direction, substantially as described.

7. In arail joint, two rails having their meeting ends out along parallel vertical diagonal planes, a rail bench having a channel receiving the base flanges of the rail ends, means for holding said rail end against longitudinal and lateral movement in the channel, the other rail having a slight longitudinal and lateral movement in the channel, and means cooperating with said movable rail end for causing the same to move laterally when expanding and contracting whereby to maintain the diagonal end faces of the rails in close relationship at all times, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

EZRA C. WELSH. 

